Buffer for store-service apparatus



(No Model.) E. A. RORKE.

BUFFER FOR STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

Patented Apr. 29, 1890 INVENTOR:

WITNESSES.-

ATTORNEYS.

llNTEn STATES PATENT FFICE.

EDWARD A. RORKE, OF

BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK.

BUFFER FOR STORE-SERVICE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 426,548, dated April 29, 1890.

Application filed August 15, 1889. Serial No. 820,825. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. RORKE, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Store-Service-Railway Buffer, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to store-service railways constructed with double-track rails and having carriers mounted to travel thereon, with depending arms projecting downward between the track-rails to operate suitable switches arranged below the track. In this class of store-service railways it is found desirable to provide a means for stopping a carrier at the terminus of a track, either before removing the carrier or permitting it to proceed onto an elevator or switching-shelf.

To this end this invention has for its object to provide a buffer by means of which the carrier will be effectively stopped and released to proceed onto an elevator or switching-shelf.

The invention consists in a store-servicerailway buffer constructed and arranged as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention, showing the buffer in closed position. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the buffer in open position, and Fig. 3 is an end view partly in transverse section and broken away.

1 indicates the double-track rails at the terminus of a track, at which point the carrier may be stopped by a buffer and lifted from the track, and after being stopped by the buffer released therefrom and permitted to proceed from the track-rails 1 onto an elevator or switching-shelf located adjacent to the ends of the rails 1.

The form of buffer to stop and release the carrier is preferably constructed as follows: The tapering stop normally closed between the track-rails and provided with mechanism to open it preferably consists of the swinging arms 2, secured at one end to the inside of and between the rails 1, extending diagonally therefrom and meeting at the other end. The arms 2, formed of metal, wood, or other suitable material, are preferably elastic, so as to be normally held in closed position with their movable ends abutting and to automatically close upon being released from open position. The mechanism employed to open the arms 2 preferably consists of an inverted-U-shaped swinging frame 3, pivoted at the lower ends of its uprights 4 on the outside of the lower ends of the uprights 5 of an inverted U shaped frame 6. The uprights at of frame 3 are formed with downwardly-curved arms 7, having at their ends boxes or casings 8, into which project the outer ends of rods 9, extending through openings 9 in rails 1, and connected at their inner ends to the outer ends of arms 2. Upon the outer ends of rods 9 are mounted pins 10,

extending at an angle thereto through a diagonal slot 11 in the boxes or casings S. In the normally-closed position of the arms 2 the pins 10 project through the upper end of the diagonal slots 11, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The device hereinbefore described is located adjacent to the ends of rails 1.

In use, upon the approach of a carrier having an arm depending between the rails 1, the carrier will be stopped without a sudden shock by the depending arm wedging between the meeting ends of the diagonal arms 2, and thereby preventing the carrier from being thrown off the track. In order to open the arms 2, release the carrier, and permit it to proceed onto an elevator or switching-shelf located adjacent to the ends of rails 1, the frame 3 is provided with an operating cord or rope 12, fastened to an eyebolt or ring 13 on its top, and extending through an eyebolt or ring 14 on the top of frame 5 and down below the tracks to within reach of an operator. hen it is desired to release the carrier held by the arms 2, the cord 12 is pulled to open the arms 2, and held until the carrier has passed them, when it is released, and the arms 2 are automatically closed by their tension.

In lieu of the arms 2 bein g elastic, they may be simply rigid arms hinged to the rails 1, and will automatically close by the Weight of frame 3 causing the latter to drop into the inclined position shown in Fig. 1.

By means of this invention an effective buffer for stopping the carriers of store-service railways is provided.

While I have shown and described a specific construction of parts, 1 do not desire to limit myself thereto, as the parts may be Varied without departing from the essential features of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A buffer for double-track store-service railways, consisting of an automatically-closing stop locatedbetween the track-rails, and mechanism for opening the stop, substantial] y as shown and described.

2. A buffer for double-track store-service railways, consisting of diagonal swinging automatically-closing arms located between the track-rails, having their movable ends abutting to form a stop, and normally held in closed position, and mechanism for opening the arms, substantially as shown and described.

'3. A buffer for double-track store-service railways, consisting of diagonal swinging elastic arms located between the track-rails and having their movable ends abutting to form a stop, and mechanism for opening the arms, substantially as shown and described.

4. A buiter for double-track store-service railways, consisting of the combination, with track-rails 1, of the diagonal arms 2, secured at one end to rails 1 and having their other ends abutting to form a stop, a vertical frame 5, mounted on the tracks 1, a swinging frame 3, adjacent to frame 5 and having an operatingcord 12, curved arms 7, with casings 8, having diagonal slots 11, and rods 9, connected at one end to arms 2 and at the other having pins 10, located in the diagonal slots 11, substantially as shown and described.

EDWARD A. RORKE. Witnesses:

H. M. EATON, J. R. STRICKLER. 

